DOLORES SWAZEY

DOLORES ELEANOR SWAZEY (nee Smith, formerly Savela) August 28, 1931 ~ October 15, 2025 Mrs. Dolores Eleanor Swazey, age 94 years, passed away peacefully in Hogarth Riverview Manor on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

Dolores was born on August 28, 1931 in Port Arthur, Ontario, the youngest of three girls to parents, Stan and Millie (nee Bateman) Smith. She attended high school at P.A.C.I. during WWII, where she graduated with honours.

Dolores had aspired to be a professional dancer, but taught school in Mabella as soon as she finished high school. There she met and married her dance partner Esko Savela. His job with CNR took them to Graham where they lived for a while with one child in a box car on a siding. A change in his employment had them move into airport housing on Graham Lake, with two bedrooms and running water. She had four more children while in Graham.

Dolores taught correspondence lessons to her oldest daughter as well as to a neighbour's child for grades one and two. By then, the next in line was ready for school so the children boarded out during the week in Upsala.

This brought on a move to Armstrong where the sixth child was born. Dolores taught Sunday School at the United Church while there. The family lived mainly on wild game, fish and preserves of wild berries.

When the oldest child was starting high school, Dolores moved again with her family to Fort William.

She joined the women's bowling league, which she enjoyed for several years. Her hobbies included reading, knitting and in later years shopping, especially for clothes.

Dolores married Lorne Swazey after Esko had passed away. She took Drivers Education to improve her city driving skills at the age of fifty and she drove her own car until well into her eighties.

After Lorne retired, they spent their summers camping, swimming, fishing and small game hunting at Graham Lake with her children and grandchildren as much as possible. They traveled most winters going to different places, some as far away as Australia, New Zealand and Tunisia.

Dolores resided in the Westfort area until her passing.

Dolores will be deeply missed by her children, Sharon Barker (Rob) of Thunder Bay, ON, Debi LaCroix (Ron) of Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Don Savela (Wendy) of Thunder Bay, ON and Cindy LeBlanc (Brian) of Kakabeka Falls, ON; sons-in-law Bill Ulasik and John Chambers as well as her twelve grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was predeceased by her husbands, Esko Savela and Lorne Swazey; daughters Gail Ulasik and Linda Chambers; her parents Stan and Millie Smith and her sisters, Ethel Dennis (George) and Myrtle Birch (Jim).

Funeral Services for the late Mrs. Dolores Swazey will be held on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 3:00pm in the WESTFORT CHAPEL, 420 West Gore Street at James. A private interment will take place later in Mountainview Cemetery.

Should friends so desire, donations made in memory of Dolores to Alzheimer Society of Canada would be greatly appreciated.

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